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16 October 2018

Thinklaser provides industrial manufacturing solutions using laser technology. It designs and builds high performance laser engraving and marking systems, as well as collaborating with a range of organisations on special projects to constantly push the boundaries of laser technology capabilities.

One such project involves working with Tisics, a Surrey-based expert in titanium composites, on an R&D programme funded by the European Space Agency. The project aims to utilise the matrix coated fibre technology of Tisics, coupled with the material handling and laser processing knowledge of Thinklaser to produce complex pressure vessels for spacecraft.

Orbital launches are currently very expensive, therefore producing components using titanium silicon carbide composites leads to a greater weight reduction, the ability to incorporate other component reduction techniques and, as a result, either cost savings or greater payloads. The scheme will aspire to enable the automated production of fibre reinforced tubular and spherical pressure vessels where the curvature is not achievable with current foil and fibre composite methods.